Tobias Forge, the visionary leader behind the Swedish rock band Ghost, recently shed light on the band’s controversial decision to implement a “phone-free” policy for their 2025 world tour. In a revealing question-and-answer session with fans at Birmingham’s HMV Vault on July 4, Forge detailed the rationale behind the use of Yondr pouches for securing guests‘ phones and the transformative impact it has had on their live performances.
Forge admitted that the idea of enforcing a phone ban initially met with some resistance from his own team. “Oh, pushback. I think that the first initial pushback, it wasn’t necessarily muscular pushback, but it was an inquiry to maybe reconsider,” he recounted (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). He explained that his manager and agent, while eventually supportive, were concerned about the logistical and economic “baggage” that such a policy would add. Forge highlighted that many artists privately “absolutely hate the phones” but are reluctant to undertake the “hurdle” of implementing a ban, weighing the costs and time ramifications involved.
Elaborating on his personal motivation for proposing the phone ban, Forge expressed strong disapproval of what he observed as a decline in audience engagement during Ghost‘s previous tour cycle. He noted a particularly stark contrast in countries typically known for enthusiastic crowds. “It really hit me when we came to certain countries where they have generally been much more enthusiastic, and you come out — there’s, like, 18,000 people there, and there’s, like, 10,000 phones. And they’re not even bouncing anymore,” Forge lamented. He questioned the phenomenon, asking: “What is this? What has happened?”
While refraining from labeling the behavior as “disrespect,” Tobias attributed the shift to a cumulative effect. He reasoned that individual fans might not intend to be disrespectful by filming a song or taking a photo, but “the sum of it becomes a completely changed,” dynamic for the artist. He described the profound disappointment of performing to a crowd that has progressively become “less and less and less engaged in exchange for these phones.” The situation reached a point where Forge felt his passion for performing decreases. “I don’t think I wanna do this. I don’t think I wanna do this. If this is how it’s gonna be, I’d rather not do it,” he confessed, illustrating how the pervasive use of phones devalued the live experience for him. He stressed the crucial role of crowd engagement for Ghost‘s highly theatrical and precisely arranged shows, emphasizing the vital “exchange” between band and audience.
“That that’s how worthless it became because of the phones. Especially a show like ours. I mean, I know that there are a lot of artists who [do] a completely more a free-form show, but we don’t. Our show is pretty sort of nailed and arranged. There’s obviously a certain wiggle room for individualism. But, yeah, in order to do what we do, we need to have a certain regimen.”
“And so what do we feed off of? [The crowd]. And that is crucial. That is crucial for us to be able to do the show. If you came into a dress rehearsal and saw us do the same thing but without a crowd, it’s dramatically worse. But when you have an engaged crowd, it becomes better because you’re two…”
When asked by the moderator if the phone ban has “paid off” for Ghost, Tobias responded unequivocally: “Oh, absolutely. [It’s been a] f**king life changer. Life changer for the existence of the band. Absolutely.” He shared the band’s collective feeling after the first phone-free show, describing it as having “completely changed the entire outlook of how this feels.” Forge believes that many other bands are now observing Ghost’s successful implementation and considering similar policies.
Earlier this month, Ghost commenced the U.S. leg of their “Skeletour” world tour, in support of their sixth studio album, Skeletá, which was released in April. The tour, designed by Tobias Rylander and Tobias Forge, represents a bold evolution in Ghost‘s live performances, featuring their most theatrical and cinematic production to date on an ambitious scale.
Ghost – Remaining 2025 U.S. & Mexico Tour Dates:
- July 17, 2025: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH, US
- July 18, 2025: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA, US
- July 19, 2025: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA, US
- July 21, 2025: TD Garden, Boston, MA, US
- July 22, 2025: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US
- July 24, 2025: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI, US
- July 25, 2025: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY, US
- July 26, 2025: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, US
- July 28, 2025: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI, US
- July 29, 2025: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI, US
- July 30, 2025: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO, US
- August 1, 2025: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL, US
- August 2, 2025: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN, US
- August 3, 2025: CHI Health Center Omaha, Omaha, NE, US
- August 5, 2025: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, MO, US
- August 7, 2025: Ball Arena, Denver, CO, US
- August 9, 2025: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV, US
- August 10, 2025: Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA, US
- August 11, 2025: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ, US
- August 14, 2025: Moody Center ATX, Austin, TX, US
- August 15, 2025: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX, US
- August 16, 2025: Toyota Center, Houston, TX, US
- September 24, 2025: Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
- September 25, 2025: Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
